The Cotswolds Werewolf and Other Stories of Sherlock Holmes

I’ll admit, I approached *The Cotswolds Werewolf* with skepticism—another Holmes collection? But Andersson’s stories carve out a niche that feels fresh, even familiar. The title tale, with its gnawed livestock and terrified villagers, could’ve been a cheap monster yarn, but Andersson grounds it in Holmes’ forensic rigor, making the supernatural feel *plausible*—right up until the chilling final reveal. Peever’s narration is a revelation: his Holmes is dry but never cold, and his Watson radiates quiet exhaustion, as if he’s one more impossible case away from snapping. The standout, though, is *The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Cousin*, a meta-twist on the classic that’s equal parts clever and creepy. That said, the collection isn’t flawless. A few stories (*The Case of the Vanishing Vicar*) lean too hard on twists that feel telegraphed, and Peever’s female voices occasionally dip into caricature—jarring in an otherwise nuanced performance. The pacing, too, can be uneven; some tales end with a whip-crack, others peter out like a damp squib. But when it works—like in *The Thing in the Thames*, where Holmes’ deduction feels like a race against a rising, nameless terror—it’s electric. This isn’t comfort listening; it’s Holmes for those who like their logic laced with dread. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Conan Doyle’s detective stumbled into an M.R. James story, this is your answer.